The ROTC program at Texas A&M University- Kingsville has been going strong this year.

Proof of that could be seen at this year’s ROTC Ranger Challenge Competition at Camp Bullis Oct. 16.

The Ranger Challenge is a two-day opportunity for schools to “compete” with each other completing military tasks.

In addition to a written examination where cadets test their Army knowledge, there are physical fitness drills and field exercises, such as a field aid obstacle course, dry land navigation, a hand grenade assault course and M16 assembly and disassembly.

Twenty-one colleges and universities from Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma were represented at this year’s Challenge Competition, with male, female and co-ed teams.

Texas A&M-Kingsville saw its men’s team take first place in the competition and its co-ed team take third place.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Ariel R. Rodriguez, professor of military science at A&M-Kingsville, this is the first time a team from the university has been awarded first place at the competition.

Rodriguez said that the success at the competition is part of a wave of success that has been building for the A&M-Kingsville ROTC program. “We’ve got a new cadre and a new way of looking at things here. We’ve turned things around.”

He said that their recruits have been capped at 41, with 36 new freshmen among them. “That number is more than most major institutions,” said Rodriguez.

“Response to the program has been overwhelming. Its success has been building through recruitment. We had 80 percent of our prospects come on board.

“By the end of this semester, we should have 14 to 16 fully qualified cadets earning full scholarships. We’ve also seen a retention rate of 80 percent or better for cadets that stayed in the program from freshman year through their senior year.”